Following President Trump's decision to pull out of the
Paris climate accord, several travel companies and representatives of the
tourism industry last week came out in harsh opposition to the move, with some
proposing that the travel industry must now take the protection of the planet's
natural resources into its own hands.
One of the more visible rebukes of Trump's pullout came from
Disney CEO Bob Iger, who resigned from President Trump's advisory council to
protest the withdrawal from the Paris accord.
In the Hot Seat
Sven-Olof Lindblad, president and CEO of Lindblad Expeditions, came
out in harsh opposition to President Trump's decision to pull out from
the Paris climate accord. He discussed his strong stance and the risks he
took to make it. Read More
"Protecting our planet and driving economic growth are
critical to our future, and they aren't mutually exclusive," Iger said in
a statement. "I deeply disagree with the decision to withdraw from the
Paris agreement, and as a matter of principle, I've resigned from the president's
advisory council."
Aspen Skiing Company and Vail Resorts were also among the
hundreds of signatories of an open letter titled "We Are Still In."
The signatories consisted of individual states, cities, mayors, educational
institutions and private businesses, pledging to continue to work toward the
goals and climate action outlined by the Paris agreement.
In a statement issued with the letter, Auden Schendler, vice
president of sustainability for Aspen Skiing Company, said his enterprise was
not just "opposing withdrawal from Paris; we're going to fight it to the
ground, and we're going to implement the Paris accords ourselves, in our
business, in Colorado, and as soon as possible, nationally."
Intrepid Travel, in response to Trump's decision to withdraw
from the Paris climate accord, announced that it would double its carbon offset
contribution this year on all its U.S. tours.
"The responsibility for
climate change has been handed over to public and private leaders to take
action," said Leigh Barnes, director of Intrepid Travel in North America. "We
all have a part to play, and this was the most immediate action we could take.
Offsetting does not grant us a license to create carbon, but it allows us to
make a positive contribution to the planet while we continue to work toward
meaningful emission-reduction strategies."
Doubling its commitment means that Intrepid will work to
offset approximately 3,300 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2017 on behalf
of the more than 2,500 passengers it expects to send out on its 68 U.S. tours.
The investments will go toward global energy projects such as the Dempsey Ridge
Wind Farm in Oklahoma, a renewable energy project accredited by nonprofit
sustainable practices watchdog VCS in a state largely dependent on fossil
fuels.
"Protecting our planet and driving economic growth are critical to our future, and they aren't mutually exclusive," -- Disney CEO Bob Iger
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) took the
opportunity to issue a statement last week reiterating its support of Caribbean
nations that have signed the Paris climate change agreement.
"The Caribbean is one of the world's most vulnerable
regions to the escalating effects of climate change," the CHTA said in a
statement. "The socio-economic consequences from rising sea levels and
temperatures, increasingly violent storms and severe droughts, oil spills,
mismanagement of waste and coral bleaching are having mounting consequences
and, left unchecked, threaten the very viability of the region's economies and
societies, and the health and welfare of Caribbean people."
The organization noted that businesses throughout the
region, particularly tourism-related enterprises, have been increasingly
adopting practices aimed at preserving and protecting the environment.
On June 3, Sven-Olof Lindblad, president and CEO of Lindblad
Expeditions, a company that went public in 2015, wrote an email to past clients
titled, "My thoughts on the Paris climate accord."
"This week, I believe, has been a very sad one, as the
United States declared our exit from the Paris climate accord," Lindblad
wrote. "Many argue, and I am in agreement, that climate change is the
greatest threat mankind faces. And now we stand with Syria and Nicaragua as the
only nations in the world who are not part of the Paris climate accord. How can
this possibly be? How could we, the United States of America, isolate ourselves
from what clearly is a global call for essential change?"
Lindblad then asked travelers to send him stories that
illustrate the importance of natural systems. A few days after that email was
sent, Lindblad told Travel Weekly that the company had received some 500
responses, which were divided between supportive and critical statements.
"The ones I am going to read first are the ones that
are negative," Lindblad said. "I actually am more interested in
having a conversation with the negative ones than the positive ones. The
negative ones create an opportunity for a conversation. Part of the problem is
everyone is so polarized these days. People are only talking with people who
agree with them."
Asked if he was concerned that by taking a definitive stance
on this issue he was potentially alienating some of his customer base, Lindblad
said, "Certainly the safer route is to just keep your mouth shut, but I'll
take my chances every now and then."
Lindblad said he was not sure yet what he planned to do with
the responses, but he hoped that they would help to somehow contribute to the
conversation about climate change.
"It's come to the point where I'll do anything I can to
try and help change the conversation," Lindblad said.